SKAGEN, DENMARK: WHERE THE NORTH SEA AND THE BALTIC SEA COLLIDE! AND, CELEBRATING 42 YEARS!

Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Skagen, Denmark
60F and sunny

Happy Anniversary in Denmark!

Today we were in Skagen, the northernmost town in Denmark. It is globally famous as the exact point where two seas—the North Sea and the Baltic Sea—collide. Skagen (pronounced roughly like Skayne) is a resort town, a fishing port, and apparently an oil freighter hub--we saw lots of oil freighters docked outside the port. Its population is about 12,000 but attracts about 2 million visitors annually. TK is theorizing that the North and Baltic Seas are becoming very popular for cruise ships and Europeans because of the cooler weather.  The Mediterranean, other areas of Europe, and Great Britain are experiencing very hot weather.

We took a shuttle to town ($8 RT/pp) and found a charming village with brightly colored homes, walkable streets, and very friendly people.

Florist and Garden Center

Hens and Chicks!

Shelves of LEGOs inside!

LEGO was originally created by Ole Khristiansen, a carpenter from Denmark. The name LEGO comes from the Danish phrase “leg godt,” which means “play well.”  Today the company is still owned by the Kristiansen family. Today LEGO is manufactured in Denmark, Hungary, Mexico, China, and the United States.

Street View

Our first stop was a bakery for coffee and a Danish apple twist. The owner was making cinnamon rolls as we walked in, the dough rising as she was waiting on us—how I would have loved to sit right there until those rolls were baked! 

Sanne's Deli for apple Danish!

We continued our sauntering walk, past a lot of winter clothing sales, shoes, boots, coats, sweaters, jackets—the Danes are preparing for winter. We were told that along the sea the winter is really not too bad, but inland—watch out!  I do think Erie’s winters could go head to head with some of these countries, except, as they say, inland and farther north.

$27.86 for a senior citizen haircut

Public Art!

I will admit that the languages we have encountered (Danish, Finnish, Swedish, and Norse) are difficult to get a handle on. My Latin, French, and German do help some, but I haven’t even figure out the word for street in any of these languages.

Dear Readers, you can skip the next few paragraphs—it is astounding to me that the smaller countries we have visited along the Baltic Sea all have different languages, from Romance language roots to Nordic/German roots. I have been trying to sort out the languages, and this is what I have come up with.

Scandinavian languages:

Scandinavian languages, also known as North Germanic or Nordic languages, belong to the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. They are traditionally divided into East Scandinavian (Danish and Swedish) and West Scandinavian (Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faroese) groups based on historical and linguistic features. While Norwegian, and Swedish are mutually intelligible to a significant degree, Icelandic and Faroese retain more archaic grammar and vocabulary, making them less accessible to speakers of the other Scandinavian languages

Vikings

I also did not know there were many types of Vikings. They were not a single uniform group but originated from Scandinavia, specifically Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Danish Vikings, or Danes, were the most politically organized and focused on raiding Western Europe, including France and England, and were the first to largely convert to Christianity by the end of the 9th century. Norwegian Vikings were renowned sailors and explorers, venturing to Iceland, Greenland, and even North America, and were considered the bravest and most adventurous. Swedish Vikings, often called Varangians or Rus, traveled eastward along rivers like the Volga and Dnieper, remaining pagan longer than their western counterparts and engaging in trade and raids in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

So, Danish Vikings, Swedish Vikings, Norwegian Vikings—I have a lot to learn!  And I digress.

Back to Skagen.

Before we take a trip, I always research what cities/countries consider special souvenirs. My research for Skagen indicated a candy store, Bolcheriet.   I probably spent an hour in the shop watching the candy being made. They make candies the traditional way, by hand, and they use all natural ingredients and flavorings. All of their candies are boiled over an open fire and the mass of candy is “pulled on a hook.” The shears the candy maker used were 125 years old, and the extruding machine is over 80 years old (German made he said).  They say they do all of their work in front of an audience, and I can attest to that. Perhaps we purchased delicious candy here!  

Bolcheriet--candy shop

extraordinaire!

Pouring the candy mixture

onto a metal pan

A snippet to stretch

Natural food coloring-

green, red, white

for strawberry!

Stretching red

Starts out amber

After a lot of pulling,

it becomes white

He made a sandwich of 

green and white for the 

strawberry stem and

background

The extruding machine

Voila! Strawberry candy!

Delicious!

Apothecary

After watching the candy maker, we headed for the ice cream shop. TK loves salted caramel and I had strawberry—so perfectly delicious!

Earlier in the day we discovered that TK’s “Medallion,” had fallen off his lanyard.  That is the way the ship identifies its passengers, and every passenger must have his/her medallion to board the ship and disembark.  We thought of several options. TK would live in Skagen, perhaps find a job in one of the shops, or he could be a charter fishing captain. I forgot to mention—he also neglected to bring his wallet to town. He had no ID. He confessed to the shuttle driver, and I thought he might be taken off in handcuffs. Back at the port, the shuttle driver dropped him off at Danish security. The policeman took him to the ship, and TK was back at our stateroom almost as soon as I was! With a new medallion!

And, SURPRISE!  We were greeted with Happy Anniversary decorations!! Forty two years with this sweet guy!! He gave me a pair of Baltic Amber earrings!

TK’s Takes: People were the nicest yet. Very clean town. Wouldn’t mind living here. 

Questions answered! 

Donna, I cannot believe I did not say in the blog in Visby the Swedish meatballs were divine! Real mashed potatoes, gravy without fancy spices and herbs, and meatballs that you could write home about!

Ann and Donna--I pack lots of pieces of bubble wrap (Amazon is good for this!) in the suitcase lining. I wrap fragile items in that when we pack to go home--I also bring masking tape.  As far as room for the Starbucks cups, I will be offloading most of the books I brought. Plus, we will have room in our carry on bags. We were  hoping for one more cup tomorrow in Denmark, but Princess encouraged a tour because immigration is going to be tedious in Copenhagen.  That is why they pushed the tours--so many guests leaving and more coming on (this was really two cruises).  We have learned on this trip that Princess is leaving scant time for "on your own" and that is what we love.  All that said, we always worry about weight and breakage!

Jim--there are lots and lots of really tall people-men and women, well over 6 ft. Not all are blonde!

OSLO, NORWAY AND NORWEGIAN EXPLORERS!

Monday, August 17, 2026
Oslo, Norway
63F and sunny

Sunset sailing out of Oslo

Sunrise today from our balcony

Sailing into Oslo

Approaching Oslo on the Oslofjord

Delightful!

Oslo, the capital city of Norway and another cosmopolitan city! Our cruise ship docked near the center city, so we had an easy “on our own” walk into the hub. Of course, we stopped for coffee and shared a delicious cinnamon bun first.  Oslo has a population of about 700,000—and Norway—5.5 million.

Oslo Opera House

The Munch Museum (The Scream)

We couldn't do everything, but next time!

She Lies

The She Lies sculpture in the harbor is a floating glass and stainless steel structure that resembles an iceberg—created by artist Monica Bonvicini to evoke the power of ice and water in the high north. It rotates due to the influence of winds and tides. This sculpture is astounding!

Our first stop was a sleek train station, the largest one I have ever seen, that incorporates a huge mall with another huge mall right across the street. We were looking for Starbucks!  We could not resist walking through the mall, clothing stores, cosmetics shops, at least 5 grocery stores—3 small ones and 2 large ones), florists, furniture, vitamin shops. It was just like any mall but multiply Erie’s mall by at least 5. It actually seemed like the train station morphed into a mall—I didn’t get a photo!

[Aside to Ann and Jim—this is a train station to love!]

Traveling Man statue

outside the train station

Entrance to the train station

One of the smaller grocery stores

Three level mall

Men's fashion!

Outside-I do like public art!

We found Starbucks in the huge mall across the street, purchased our Oslo mug--

Why not Troll Coffee to fill the

Oslo Starbucks cup!

TK is always thinking

We decided to Uber to the Kon Tiki museum, 3 miles away. We were not going to walk that far.  When Janie was in her early teens, she read two books by Thor Heyerdahl—one was Kon Tiki. Briefly, the Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl theorized that early people could have sailed on a balsam log raft to the Polynesian Islands and he set out to prove it in 1947.  Heyerdahl and five other men constructed the boat and sailed for 101 days before smashing into a reef at Raroia, an atoll in French Polynesia in the Tuamotus.  All survived and returned safely.  This book must have piqued my sense of adventure as a 13 year old!  As it turned out, DNA has proven a link between Peruvian natives and those of French Polynesia.

Aku-Aku: The Secret of Easter Island  was written in 1957 by Thor Heyerdahl—and describes his investigation into Polynesdian history and culture on Easter Island and other areas. He studied the "moai," thousands of stone statues on one of the most isolated islands in the world.  Obvioulsy there is more to both books, but that is enough to possibly pique your interest. I am definitely going to reread those books. I surely never dreamed I would see a reconstruction of the Kon Tiki!

I am sure this is not a real 

"Easter Island maoi"

A replica of the Kon Tiki

I can picture 8 days on the 

Atlantic Ocean on the U.S. Brig Niagara

I cannot picture 101 days on the 

Kon Tiki on the Pacific Ocean

(closeup)

Kon Tiki--aft

There is actual footage of

the voyage---

On the high seas-count me in...

Another maoi

Heyerdahl built the Ra (made of reeds) 

for a voyage across the Atlantic, 

but it was not successful

Across the street from the Kon Tiki museum was the Fram Museum.  Why not learn about Norwegian exploration into the Arctic and Antarctic? This museum honors the polar exploration of the three great Norwegian explorers, Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, and Roald Amundsen.

The Fram—“forward” in Norwegian—is a ship that was used in expeditions of the Arctic and Antarctic regions between 1893 and 1912.

The Fram

The Fram, a 3 masted schooner

Janie on the 3 masted Fram

We toured the original Fram inside the museum, 70 ft. length and 20 ft beam. Its sides 4 ft.  thick made of oak.  There was lots of information about the journeys, the preparation, the sled dogs, the crew, the cold. We walked through an area that was like a freezer to experience the chill of an Arctic trip—although I am sure it wasn’t as cold and certainly not the length of time these men endured.  Roald Amundsen is also known for the three year journey he made with a crew of six on the Gjøa, the first vessel to transit the Northwest Passage.

We salute Norwegian explorers and their passion!

On the Uber ride back to the center city, we saw cows in a meadow, rolling hills, trees, and suburbs with apartments and single family homes.

Karl Johans Gate (street) 

We walked one more street near the train station and found Vaffelvogna! We enjoyed a folded soft waffle stuffed with strawberries, ice cream, and whipped cream (not from aerosol can).  I hope we find such a treat in Skagen, Denmark tomorrow!

Vaffelvogna

TK captured this amazing image

as we were sailing on the Oslo Fjord

10 p.m. Central European Summer Time

or 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time

TK’s Takes: He wished he had tried the brown cheese at the Vaffelvogna (like caramel).  He saw a large firehouse near the ship.  He bought a troll on Karl Johans Gate (street).  He said he really liked the Scandinavian countries, too bad there is a lot of winter.

VISBY, GOTLAND, SWEDEN: STEPPING INTO THE MIDDLE AGES!

Saturday, August 15, 2026
Visby, Gotland, Sweden
79F and sunny

One of the gates

 into Visby

First look inside!

Narrow passageways

Heading down!

Imagine who lived 

or worked here!

I want to take Visby home with me. It is a beautifully preserved medieval town on the Swedish island of Gotland, famous for its stunning 13th-century stone wall, Medieval church, and cobblestone streets.

The flag of Gotland

Visby has a permanent population of approximately 26,000 residents, while the wider island of Gotland has a population around 61,500 people. During the peak summer months, tourism causes this number to explode, drawing over 200,000 weekly visitors to the medieval streets.

This is the place to be for a Medieval Festival!  And, we discovered that Visby Medieval Week was last week, we just missed it. We missed eight days of jousting, knights on horseback, bands, archers, crafts (including medieval calligraphy), jesters, the fairy tale meadow, vendors, and medieval food!

I’m glad we took the shuttle to Visby ($14 RT/pp), because we walked and walked, walked downhill, uphill, and back downhill, then uphill again—no wonder we are walking between 10,000 and 15,000 steps a day! And I thought by now my creaky joints would be back in shape. Oops, birthday next month and I need a reality check as to how old I will be! TK is toughing it out too, with knee replacements, ankle pins, and upper femur pins. We just do it!

All the walking was worth it, because Visby is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Scandinavia and is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.  Among its most notable historical remains are the 2.1 mile long town wall that encircles the town center.  There are a number of church ruins and interesting alleyways. Many of the stone houses are preserved in their original medieval style. Visby and Taillin (Estonia) are the only two North European towns in which the city’s medieval grid plan has been fully preserved into present day. 

These rams are everywhere

very photogenic

Saffranspannkaka here!

We found a bakery with a very good croissant, very strong coffee, and Saffranspannkaka—a traditional Swedish dessert from the island of Gotland. Made of rice pudding, cream, milk, sugar, eggs, almonds, and saffron, it is baked until golden. It is served with whipped cream and dewberry (salmbar) jam. The dish traces back to the Middle Ages and was a symbol of luxury due to the island’s trade connections.

Obviously the French have been here

because that was a very good croissant

will TK's photo of his choice momentarily

Close up of TK's

Saffranspannkaka

TK does not look medieval!

Refreshed with breakfast, we strolled along again.

Nearby was a shop that sold dewberry (salmbar) jam and TK definitely wanted to take that home!

Sights along the way!

In area called Stora Torget

Statue depicts a ruler or someone important 

Info in Swedish. I cannot 

find what these ruins were

P.S. I think the statue might be 

Erik of Pomerania

Back side of those ruins

I was completely smitten with the church dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. It was a Franciscan church and monastery, established by the Franciscan order in the mid-13th century and built in the medieval Gothic tradition. Erected at the heart of the town shortly after the market square was laid out, the church became a prominent religious house. It is said that Mary Magdalene’s relics were kept beneath the main altar.

St. Catherine of Alexandria Church, exterior

Interior, looking toward altar

Looking toward altar

Baptismal font,
separate room behind the altar

Looking up

Looking back from the altar

The friary began in 1233, and the church itself was finished around 1250 as a single, long, narrow nave. Construction continued with additions--the presbytery reached completion in 1388 and was consecrated in 1391. In 1402 six vaults of the nave gave way, and the nave was then rebuilt with new columns and vaulting. The surviving medieval presbytery was completed and consecrated in 1412.

The ruins present the outline of a medieval church that evolved from a single nave into a three-aisled hall. Walls of natural stone mark the footprint of a long church oriented toward the sea. There was a spiritual feel to the ruins of this church--people were quiet inside its walls. I could only imagine the skill and artisanship, plus the belief in God, that went into creating such a church in the Middle Ages.

We did not see St. Mary's Cathedral--the only medieval church still in active use today--we just could not find it. 

St. Mary's Cathedral, only medival church

still in use today--next trip!

Consecrated in 1225

Before returning to the ship, TK wanted to try authentic Swedish meatballs and shrimp with toast.

Toast Skagen

Shrimp with dill and bechamel 

cheese with exquisite toast

Klassica Kottbullar med henlaged potatismos

pressgurka, skirat smor

Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and gravy, and 

pressed cucumbers topped with cream cheese

Because of high winds, the ship did not leave the port as scheduled, but three hours later.

TK's Takes: He is exhausted and said he could not do another port. Thankfully we have a sea day tomorrow!  Also, he did not see any satellite dishes on homes in Visby.